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Cyberspace Headline Intellectual Property Trademarks

Have You Purchased Your .xxx Domain Name Yet?

Have you purchased your .xxx domain yet?  I am only half joking.  Many companies (big and small) that have absolutely no relation to the pornography industry have been buying up their tradenames at the .xxx level.  They have been reserving those domains from registration (see: Walmart.xxx) so that third parties cannot scoop up the domains and take advantage of the strength of their brand names.  Even colleges are buying up .xxx domains.  And then there are legitimate pornography companies that have purchased their own names and have used generic nouns and verbs in an effort to bolster their online presence.

Domain-name registrars (i.e. GoDaddy) can buy .xxx domain names for $60 each, but those registrars then increase the price on those domain names to earn a handsome profit.  GoDaddy.com currently sells .xxx domain names for $99.99 per year (darren.xxx is still available for anyone who wants it).

Those who do not buy their own tradename’s .xxx domain may find that a cybersquatter will spend the money and either park himself on it or build out and try to monetize a website on the .xxx domain.  In that case, a lawyer can help with the drafting of a demand letter and possibly instituting litigation strategies against the infringing cybersquatter.